The Red Sox clinched a playoff spot last night... so I should be celebrating, right?

Maybe that is a bad way to phrase it.

The Rangers were eliminated by the Angels.

That's more like it.

The Red Sox didn't win ANYTHING last night.

They haven't won a game in nearly a week.

I know that in the end it doesn't matter. They did what I wanted them to do.

They have a playoff spot with nearly a week to go. They can line up their rotation anyway they want. They can have their bullpen rested and ready and give anyone in their lineup a day to catch their breath.

But it's hard to fist pump in the middle of a 5 game losing streak.

It's hard to say "Woo Hoo!" when the team seems to be going through the motions.

I wanted a clinching game. Was that too much to ask for?

Well, I am going to call this the last teeth grinder of the year... because the rest of the games of the regular season are literally meaningless.

The Sox are the Wild Card team.

The Yankees are the top seed in the AL but they can't play each other in the Division Series.

The Angels will have the second best record, ergo play the Red Sox for the 83rd year in a row.

If the Sox win all of their games or lose all of their games, nothing will change that scenario.

The only games that matter are the Twins and Tigers games... and figuring out which one has a better shot against the Yankees.

May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

Setpember 2 - 8-5 loss at Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox recover from a bad Beckett outing to tie the game in the 8th, only to give back the lead the next inning.)September 17 - 4-3 loss to Angels. (Tek allows tying run to score on a wild third strike. Sox lose in the ninth.)

September 21 - 12-9 loss in Kansas City. (Sox blow an 8-2 lead in the rain.)

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Sully Baseball “Who Might Get A Ring” obsession continues with a look at which veterans have a shot at a ring after 10+ seasons.

Which ever team wins in any year, there is inevitably a veteran who put in long years who finally won the big one… and it is hard to not smile when you see them win.

I remember being thrilled for former Red Sox hero Don Baylor when he got his ring in 1987 with the Twins.

It’s hard not to have goose bumps when you see Dave Winfield drive in the World Series winning runs in 1992… or Paul Molitor score on the Joe Carter homer… and even though he was hurt and not available, the White Sox win in 2005 must have been especially sweet for Frank Thomas.

And it isn’t always for the superstars. All time journeyman Mike Morgan finally got his ring in 2001.

Who will get the sentimental attention when the champagne pops this year?

Which player who made their debut at least 10 seasons ago will really cherish the final out, all the while looking at the rookie on the roster and think “You have no idea how lucky you are!”?

My criteria for this list is the following:

The players had to make their Major League debut in 2000 or sooner. (Sorry Hideki Matsui and Takashi Saito… I’m not counting the Japanese Leagues.)

If they missed some time due to injury, that’s fine, as long as their debut was 2000 or sooner. Rick Ankiel is on the list even though he had to go back to the farm to become an outfielder (and find an extra boost.)

They need to be in the organization now, even if they are hurt or won’t play. Lest we forget, Matt Clement and Royce Clayton got World Series rings in 2007 even though Clement played in as many games as I did that year and Royce Clayton’s only contribution was the funny “I didn’t get my taco” exchange with Coco Crisp.

There are four fomer MVPs and no shortage of former All Stars. The Dodgers have the most… the Twins have the fewest.

Were there ever two players that had worse luck for winning a World Series ring than Don Mattingly and Terry Pendleton?

I wrote last year how Mattingly's career was perfectly wedged between two great Yankee eras.

Terry Pendleton's career was no less agonizing in terms of getting a ring. He was part of two Cardinals teams that lost game 7 of the World Series, including the Don Denkinger game of 1985.

And as a member of the Braves he was the MVP of their miraculous 1991 pennant run. But they lost THAT series in 7 games... and lost the World Series in 1992 and the NLCS in 1993. Pendleton went to the Marlins in 1995 as the Braves won the World Series. He returned to Atlanta the next year, only to see the Yankees pull off one of the great upsets in World Series history... the year after Mattingly retired.

Well guess what?

Both of them are coaches on teams that might very well be playing deep into October.

They can get their belated World Series rings THIS year!

If the Dodgers win it all, Mattingly would finally have a ring.

If the Braves win it all, Pendleton would get his at long last.

And there are other ringless veterans on almost every coaching staff that has either clinched or is in contention.

Glenn Hubbard was played 12 seasons but was cut from the 1989 World Champion A's team in midseason.

Tony Pena would have been the 1987 World Series MVP if the Cardinals could have held onto their game 7 lead.

Andy Van Slyke not only was on that same 1985 Cardinals team with Pendleton but also played for the Pirates team who had their World Series dreams dashed by Francisco Cabrera.

Interestingly, each member of the official Cardinals coaching staff have already won a World Series ring as a player or as a coach (or in the case of Hal McRae, both.)

Coaches don't get the attention that the players nor manager get... but for sentimental reasons let's take a look at which former Major Leaguers currently on coaching staffs might finally earn that World Series ring at long last.

Building up for the post season, I was planning on writing a series of obsessive lists about players and coaches who are looking to win their first World Series ring.

I have a fixation with people getting their World Series ring as I can only imagine it would be the apex of anyone's career... and NOT winning one must be a never ending source of frustration.

So I was looking up info on the coaching staffs of the teams that have either clinched a spot in the post season (Yankees, Cardinals, Dodgers, Angels) those who will clinch in the next day or so (Red Sox, Phillies) and those still fighting for a spot (Tigers, Twins, Rockies, Braves) to see which coaches are looking for THEIR first ever World Series ring.

And the bit of trivia I have discovered was this...

All the managers of the teams still with October aspirations already have a World Series ring... except for Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Joe Girardi of the the Yankees won as a player during the Joe Torre era.

May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

Setpember 2 - 8-5 loss at Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox recover from a bad Beckett outing to tie the game in the 8th, only to give back the lead the next inning.)September 17 - 4-3 loss to Angels. (Tek allows tying run to score on a wild third strike. Sox lose in the ninth.)

September 21 - 12-9 loss in Kansas City. (Sox blow an 8-2 lead in the rain.)

May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

Setpember 2 - 8-5 loss at Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox recover from a bad Beckett outing to tie the game in the 8th, only to give back the lead the next inning.)September 17 - 4-3 loss to Angels. (Tek allows tying run to score on a wild third strike. Sox lose in the ninth.)

September 21 - 12-9 loss in Kansas City. (Sox blow an 8-2 lead in the rain.)